The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is an examination board that conducts the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, for University and Jamb entry examination in West Africa countries. Established in 1952, the council has contributed to education in Anglophonic countries of West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and the Gambia), with the number of examinations they have coordinated, and certificates they have issued. They also formed an endowment fund, to contribute to the education in West Africa, through lectures, and aid to those who cannot afford education.

Examinations conducted

The council conducts four different categories of examinations. They are International Examinations, National Examinations, Examinations conducted in collaboration with other examining bodies, and Examinations conducted on behalf of other examining bodies. The International exams are exams taken in the five countries with the WAEC ordinance. It consists of:

    WASSCE (West African Senior School Certificate Examination):
    SC/GCE O’ levels, and
    HSC/GCE A’ levels.

The National examinations are taken in individual countries. They include:

    the Junior Secondary School Certificate for Nigeria and the Gambia,
    Junior and Senior High School Certificate Examinations for Liberia,
    National Primary School and Basic Education Certificate Examinations for Sierra Leone,
    Basic Education Certificate Examinations for Ghana, and
    Senior School Certificate Examinations for Ghana.

The council also coordinates examinations in collaboration with some trustworthy examination bodies. These include:

    City and Guilds of London Institute
    Royal Society of Arts

The council also conducts examination in West Africa on behalf of international examination bodies. These include:

    University of London GCE
    Scholastic Aptitude Test and Graduate Record Examinations for Educational Testing Service, Princeton, USA, and
    JAMB (Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board) examination in countries outside Nigeria.

The council issues credible and reliable certificates to candidates that participate in the Examinations. And the standard of this certificates matches with that of the United Kingdom. This is because the WAEC Ordinance empowered the council to conduct Examinations and award certificates, provided the certificates don’t have a lower standard compared to their equivalent certificates of examining authorities in the United Kingdom.

website http://waeconline.org.ng

source: wikipedia